Collaborative

As you get yourself situated, please form yourselves into working groups of 5-7 people
(sit by people who look friendly)

Jeff Patton

Architect, interaction designer, & agile user experience evangelist jpatton@acm.org www.agileproductdesign.com

Jeff, introduce yourself

Together well cover three subjects: 1. Discuss and practice card modeling 2. Basic types of card models and their uses 3. Modeling in collaborative work sessions

Models help build shared understanding

Often when we verbally discuss ideas, we may incorrectly believe we have the same understanding

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

Representing our ideas as models allows us to detect inconsistencies in our understanding

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

Through discussion and iterative model building we arrive at a stronger shared understanding

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

Using that common understanding we can work together to arrive at the same objectives

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

Modeling using index cards or stickies allows everyone to be involved, and allows us to build a more malleable model

It looks like this

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Lets give it a try

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Act I: Silent Brainstorming

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Pick up 4 blue or purple index cards, and a thick Sharpie marker

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When I say go write down your 3 favorite movies on the index cards using the markers, one movie per card

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Not yet wait till I say go

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Use the 4th card in case you make a mistake, or choose to sneak in an extra movie

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Go!
Using a Sharpie marker write your 3 favorite movies on blue or purple index cards, one title per card

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Is everyone almost done? Ok, pens down then.

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If you havent already, arrange yourselves into to work groups of 6 or so.

Say Hi to everyone in your workgroup.

(OK thats enough of that.)

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Together, as a group youll build a favorite movie model.

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Act II: Modeling

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Within your group and one at a time read your movies out loud to the group and place them on the table in front of you where you can all see them.

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Working together, arrange the movies by affinity movies that seem similar place together in a cluster, movies that seem different place farther apart from the others.

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Really similar really close, Really different really far apart.

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Lets take a few minutes with this.

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Go!
Within your group and one at a time read your movies out loud to the group and place them on the table in front of you where you can all see them. Together arrange the movies by affinity movies that seem similar, place together in a cluster. Movies that seem different place farther apart. Really similar really close, really different really far apart.
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Is everyone almost done? Ok, stop modeling.

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With luck you have a few piles, or clusters of movie titles

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Now, as a team, choose a suitable name for each cluster.

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It may be natural to think of simple categories but instead, try to think of distilling statements like:

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Our team likes quirky comedies or Were not afraid to admit we like Disney movies or Mindless action films are rotting our brains
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Where categorizations label whats in a cluster, distilling statements stand-in for the cluster distill it into meaningful information.

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Together as a team, using a Sharpie marker and a yellow index card, write a distilling statement for each cluster.

(Yes, one card all by itself counts as a cluster.)

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Ready?

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Go!
Together as a team, using a Sharpie marker and a yellow index card, write a distilling statement for each cluster. Good distilling statements stand-in for the cluster distill it into meaningful information.
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Is everyone almost done? Ok, just one more step.

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Act III: Prioritization

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Now lets find important parts of our model by asking a question

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If you were stranded on a desert island with food, water, a bicycle powered DVD player, and 3 movies, what 3 movies would you want them to be?

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Wait! Dont answer yet!

Pick up three wrapped candies from the table.

(Any self respecting conference should have a small bowls of mediocre candies on the table)

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Use the wrapped candy to vote. Place your votes directly on the blue movie cards

(You can change your mind if you want thats why we used candies as voting tokens.)
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Go!
If you were stranded on a desert island with food, water, a bicycle powered DVD player, and 3 movies, what 3 movies would you want them to be?

Using three wrapped candies per person vote for your 3 movies. Place your votes directly on the blue movie cards.
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Whew!
Ok, were done.

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Lets talk about what we just did.

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A model is any visual representation of our current understanding of a concept

[a model is] a description or analogy used to help visualize something (as an atom) that cannot be directly observed
Merriam-Webster on-line

For our purposes:

a model is any visual representation of our current understanding of a concept
2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Working collaboratively in front of a model heats up communication

Face-to-face allows vocal, subvocal, gestural information to flow, with fast feedback
Communication Effectiveness
2 people at whiteboard

(Courtesy of Thoughtworks, inc.)

2 people on chat Audiotape Paper

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2 people on phone

Increasing (N communication cooler warmer temperature is an Richness of communication channel important tenet of Agile Modeling. Slide 22 Alistair C ockbur n 2003-6
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) swer n-An esti o o Qu

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

Card models fall into a couple common categories

Affinity Diagrams Chronological Models Decompositions Ad Hoc Charts

Mix and match as you see fit

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Affinity Diagrams help distill and make sense of large amounts of information
Affinity Diagrams: cluster like information in columns or piles. Distilling statements summarize each pile to allow the consumer to quickly understand information, diving into details when necessary.

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Chronological models arrange information over time

Chronological Models: arrange ideas into a time sequence. Theyre great for quickly understanding and manipulating concurrency and dependency.

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Decompositions help us visualize how ideas break down into smaller ideas
Decompositions: Decompose larger ideas into smaller ideas. Decompositions are built top down, unlike affinity diagrams built bottom up.

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Ad Hoc Charts help visualize data

Ad Hoc Charts: can be assembled quickly from data gathered during collaborative work sessions

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Card modeling can be used for a variety of purposes

Requirements & Functional Design
Use Case Modeling Workflow Modeling Risk Modeling Business Goal Modeling Organizational & Technical Context Modeling User Interface Prototyping UI Navigation Map Construction

Technical Design
Class Modeling (CRC Card Modeling) Sequence Diagrams

Meeting Facilitation
Retrospective Notes Parking Lots Collecting Facilitated Interview Data

Project Management
Blitz Project Planning Simple Work Plans

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Blend model types and annotate models to accurately represent your ideas
Blend Models
For example, chronological models with functional decompositions make excellent functional requirement maps

Annotate Models
Use Sharpies and stickies to annotate your model with relationships between groups or ad hoc information discussed during the modeling session

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Models provide excellent focal points for discussions

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Prioritization and planning activities are effective when conducted over a card model

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Guidelines for card modeling

1. Write a single idea per card 2. Write large and clear 3. Rip up cards 4. Write out loud 5. Everyone writes 6. Everyone touches cards 7. Arrange cards spatially
2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

8. Model in color

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Card modeling gotchas

1. Illegible cards 2. Participants are afraid to touch the cards. 3. Too many cards

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Model in collaborative work sessions

Use Collaborative Modeling Sessions to:
Build up tacit shared knowledge within the team Build communication and collaboration skills within the team Help the team to gel as an effective workgroup

Prepare

Write a short statement to set goals and scope for the session Identify participants 4-8 is ideal Fill these roles: Information Suppliers Information Acquirers Information Modelers Facilitator Documenter Schedule & set up worksession facility

Perform

Kickoff with goals and scope Get information figuratively and literally on the table using brainstorming or discussion Model the information to clarify, add details, distill details, and understand relationships Close by summarizing the results, on camera if possible

Document & Communicate

Capture model with photo and/or movie Document as necessary Post in publicly accessible place Display as a poster

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Document models using photos or short movies

Models created during collaborative modeling sessions are most meaningful to those who participated in their creation A photo helps viewers recall the discussion that occurred around the creation of the model A short movie where a modeler reviews the model might stand in for more formal documentation
Keep movies less than 5 minutes Interview modelers to help them remember to cover all the key points

Consumers of the model who didnt attend the modeling session likely need more formal documentation

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Card modeling collaboratively improves communication and builds shared understanding

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And, its more fun than modeling tools

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Thanks for your attention and participation

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Collaborative
As you get yourself situated, please form yourselves into working groups of 5-7 people
(sit by people who look friendly)

Jeff Patton

Architect, interaction designer, & agile user experience evangelist jpatton@acm.org www.agileproductdesign.com

Further Reading
Ambler, Agile Modeling, 2002, Wiley & Sons Gottesdiener, Requirements By Collaboration, 2002, Addison-Wesley Tabeka, Collaboration Explained, 2006, Addison-Wesley

For the most current version of these slides visit:

www.agileproductdesign/presentations

For articles related to collaborative design and requirements see:

www.agileproductdesign/writing

For more information on collaborative design and requirements see:

www.outside-in-development.com www.collaborative-cardplay.com

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Guidelines for card modeling

Write a single idea per card.
Many of the opportunities we have with card modeling come from exploring the relationships ideas have with each other. We need to manipulate ideas independently. Writing more than one on a card connects the ideas and takes the opportunity with it.

Write large and clear.

The people you're communicating with need to be able to read what you understood when you wrote it. You need to be able to read and refer back to it later in the conversation, days, or weeks later.

Rip up cards.
If an idea is bad, incorrect, a card is poorly written, or cluttered with too much scribbled out and rewritten text, destroy it. Bad ideas written on cards in conversations are dangerous to have hanging around. Don't you wish you could get bad ideas out of your head this easily?

Write out loud.

As you write, say what you're writing. Collaborators will detect when what you write doesn't match what you say and call you on it. Another strange thing happens: later when you go back to read the card, you'll be able to picture and hear the person who wrote it and what they said at the time. Brains are pretty interesting recording devices.

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Guidelines for card modeling (2 of 3)

Everyone writes.
Make sure stacks of cards and pens are available on the table to allow others to write. No need to slow the conversation down to the rate that one person can write. Most people can listen to a discussion while writing. Allowing others to write turns on other parts of their brains, their tactile parts, and helps them relate to and understand the information being discussed. One thing to be aware of, lots of people writing at the same time is much the same as lots of people talking at the same time. After a while no one is listening or reading and collaboration stops.

Everyone touches cards.

Place the cards close to people you're collaborating with so they can easily reach out and touch them, change their order, or tear them up dramatically for effect, making sure the flying shreds don't put anyone's eye out. If you're facing someone across a table, place the cards on the table so they read right-side-up for that person. Or, even better, consider moving to a corner position around the table so you're sitting to the side of your collaborator - that way the card can read right-side-up for both of you.

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Guidelines for card modeling (3 of 3)

Arrange cards spatially.
Don't let cards pile up in meaningless arrangements. Try to place them in an arrangement that makes sense. Even if they're simply placed in the order they were discussed, that's better than a pile. Once you start arranging you'll find a natural tendency to let the importance and similarity of ideas influence your arrangement. When this happens you get information almost for free from the arrangement chosen.

Model in color.
Use different colors of cards to represent different kinds of ideas. Adding color to your model adds another channel of communications and another layer of information. If you find an idea written on one color of card should have been another, rip it up and rewrite it. If you're listening to someone and writing down ideas as they speak them, change colors as their ideas change type. They'll catch on.

Plan to preserve the card arrangement.

You can do this by covering a table top with poster paper and taping the cards down when you're done. Alternatively use double-stick tape on the back of cards and stick them directly to paper on the table or mounted to a wall.

2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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Card modeling gotchas

Illegible cards
These cause the information to be ignored or misunderstood. Think of illegible cards as mumbled conversation. Don't do that either.

Participants are afraid to touch the cards.

If a meeting facilitator is the only one handling cards then be concerned your participants aren't really engaged in the conversation. Be concerned that they don't really believe what's being written. Be concerned that they have information they could be sharing by changing arrangement or text on cards, but aren't. Try to make the environment safe to do so by inviting them to write a card or tear one up. I often pretend to be busy with something else and ask them to do so, or invite someone who suggests a change of card positions to do it themselves. Once they start, they don't stop.

Too many cards

Like too many ideas, too many words are hard to work with. Consider narrowing the scope of the conversation or raising the abstraction level to talk less about details and more about general concepts. Use different colors of cards to add more channels of communication. Identify focal or key ideas in the model, and annotate the model appropriately.
2006-2008 Jeff Patton, All rights reserved, www.agileproductdesign.com

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